Pollination system of Shorea curtisii a dominant species in hill dipterocarp forests

Otani T., . and Kondo T., . and Lee S. L., . and Tani N., . Pollination system of Shorea curtisii a dominant species in hill dipterocarp forests. pp. 318-323. ISSN 0128-1283

A crucial topic in tropical rainforest research in South-East Asia is the pollination systems of mast species which flower abundantly at multiple-year intervals. In this study of Shorea curtisii a dominant tree species in hill dipterocarp forests we collected insects from flowering branches of a S. Curtisii tree sampled at 6-hour intervals during peak bloom. Of the 482 collected insects 90.7 were thrips which are weak fliers and 4.2 were the predatory big-eyed bug. Only one individual of these taxa was found in a sample taken during the non-flowering season. It is possible that during mass flowering of S. curtisii outbreaks of thrips that use scattered floral resources attract predatory big-eyed bugs which are strong fliers and which move among flowering S. curtisii trees providing pollination services. Since the most abundant thrips species (Haplothrips sp. 50.0) inhabits capsule-shaped stipules of other Shorea section Mutica species throughout the year big-eyed bugs may be able to respond to general flowering events by preying upon stipule thrips during intervening periods. Thus pollination of S. curtisii may be achieved via the ecological food chain between several types of thrips and big-eyed bugs and such a pollination system adapted to mass flowering could be supported by diverse tree species in hill dipterocarp forests.

Full text available from: Official URL: https://www.frim.gov.my/v1/jtfsonline/jtfs/v28n5/3...

Abstract

A crucial topic in tropical rainforest research in South-East Asia is the pollination systems of mast species which flower abundantly at multiple-year intervals. In this study of Shorea curtisii a dominant tree species in hill dipterocarp forests we collected insects from flowering branches of a S. Curtisii tree sampled at 6-hour intervals during peak bloom. Of the 482 collected insects 90.7 were thrips which are weak fliers and 4.2 were the predatory big-eyed bug. Only one individual of these taxa was found in a sample taken during the non-flowering season. It is possible that during mass flowering of S. curtisii outbreaks of thrips that use scattered floral resources attract predatory big-eyed bugs which are strong fliers and which move among flowering S. curtisii trees providing pollination services. Since the most abundant thrips species (Haplothrips sp. 50.0) inhabits capsule-shaped stipules of other Shorea section Mutica species throughout the year big-eyed bugs may be able to respond to general flowering events by preying upon stipule thrips during intervening periods. Thus pollination of S. curtisii may be achieved via the ecological food chain between several types of thrips and big-eyed bugs and such a pollination system adapted to mass flowering could be supported by diverse tree species in hill dipterocarp forests.

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Item Type:	Article
AGROVOC Term:	Tropical rain forests
AGROVOC Term:	Pollination
AGROVOC Term:	Shorea
AGROVOC Term:	Dipterocarps
AGROVOC Term:	Insects
AGROVOC Term:	Thrips (genus)
AGROVOC Term:	Bugs
AGROVOC Term:	Haplothrips
AGROVOC Term:	Flowering
Depositing User:	Ms. Suzila Mohamad Kasim
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 06:27
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/22904

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